On His Majesty's Service: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Franking on official documents in Commonwealth countries}} |
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{{unreferenced|date=March 2009}} |
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{{other uses|OHMS (disambiguation)}} |
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{{For| the 1937 film|O.H.M.S. (film)}} |
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{{italic title}} |
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{{more citations needed|date=March 2017}} |
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[[File:Official Paid Scan.jpg|thumb|"On Her Majesty's Service" envelope with OHMS economy "Official Paid" label from 1978]] |
[[File:Official Paid Scan.jpg|thumb|"On Her Majesty's Service" envelope with OHMS economy "Official Paid" label from 1978]] |
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''' |
'''''On His Majesty's Service''''' or '''''On Her Majesty's Service''''' (depending on the sex of the reigning monarch), is an official [[franking]] commonly seen on [[Official mail|correspondence from government departments]] in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other countries that share the same monarch as their head of state (now known as [[Commonwealth realm]]s). |
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The expanded form, ''On His/Her Britannic Majesty's Service'' has been used for international correspondence, for example for mail to British diplomatic posts in other countries. |
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In [[Canada]], '''O.H.M.S''' may be written on an envelope instead of using [[postage stamp]]s for any letters being sent to the [[Canadian House of Commons]] or to any member of the Canadian Parliament.{{fact|date=March 2009}} |
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In [[Canada]], the initialism '''O.H.M.S.''' may be written on an envelope instead of using [[postage stamp]]s for any letters being sent to the [[House of Commons of Canada]] or to any member of the [[Parliament of Canada]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-10/page-3.html#h-60244|title=Canada Post Corporation Act, s.35(2) |author=Legislative Services Branch |website=laws-lois.justice.gc.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-03-01}}</ref> Letters sent from [[lieutenant governor (Canada)|lieutenant-governor]]s may also bear the O.H.M.S. mark. The French translation ''Service de sa Majesté'' (''SDSM'') is also used. |
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In [[Australia]] before [[Federation of Australia|Federation]], letters in envelopes franked with the O.H.M.S. mark were exempt from postal fees.<ref name="The Age – 12 December 1867 – Notice to advertisers – VII. Exemption from Postage Rates">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=18671212&id=RdRhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6pADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3922,6158201&hl=en|title=Notice to advertisers – VII. Exemption from Postage Rates|date=12 December 1867|work=[[The Age]]|accessdate=18 April 2018}}</ref> |
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== In popular culture == |
== In popular culture == |
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''[[O.H.M.S. (film)|O.H.M.S.]]'' is a 1937 action comedy film |
*''[[O.H.M.S. (film)|O.H.M.S.]]'' is a 1937 British action comedy film. |
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* The title of [[Ian Fleming]]'s 1963 [[James Bond]] novel ''[[On Her Majesty's Secret Service (novel)|On Her Majesty's Secret Service]]'', along with its [[On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)|film adaptation]], is a play on the phrase. |
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*''[[On His Majesty's Secret Service]]'' is a 2009 Hong Kong action comedy film whose title is a play on the phrase. |
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*The title of the 2023 James Bond novel, ''On His Majesty's Secret Service'' by [[Charlie Higson]], is both a play on the phrase and on the title of the Fleming novel. |
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==See also== |
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* [[Britannic Majesty]] for the designation ''On His Britannic Majesty's Service''. |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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[[Category:Postal |
[[Category:Postal systems]] |
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[[Category:Philatelic terminology]] |
[[Category:Philatelic terminology]] |
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Latest revision as of 04:16, 23 February 2024
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2017) |
On His Majesty's Service or On Her Majesty's Service (depending on the sex of the reigning monarch), is an official franking commonly seen on correspondence from government departments in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other countries that share the same monarch as their head of state (now known as Commonwealth realms).
The expanded form, On His/Her Britannic Majesty's Service has been used for international correspondence, for example for mail to British diplomatic posts in other countries.
In Canada, the initialism O.H.M.S. may be written on an envelope instead of using postage stamps for any letters being sent to the House of Commons of Canada or to any member of the Parliament of Canada.[1] Letters sent from lieutenant-governors may also bear the O.H.M.S. mark. The French translation Service de sa Majesté (SDSM) is also used.
In Australia before Federation, letters in envelopes franked with the O.H.M.S. mark were exempt from postal fees.[2]
In popular culture
[edit]- O.H.M.S. is a 1937 British action comedy film.
- The title of Ian Fleming's 1963 James Bond novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service, along with its film adaptation, is a play on the phrase.
- On His Majesty's Secret Service is a 2009 Hong Kong action comedy film whose title is a play on the phrase.
- The title of the 2023 James Bond novel, On His Majesty's Secret Service by Charlie Higson, is both a play on the phrase and on the title of the Fleming novel.
See also
[edit]- Britannic Majesty for the designation On His Britannic Majesty's Service.
References
[edit]- ^ Legislative Services Branch. "Canada Post Corporation Act, s.35(2)". laws-lois.justice.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
- ^ "Notice to advertisers – VII. Exemption from Postage Rates". The Age. 12 December 1867. Retrieved 18 April 2018.